Lubricating device for internal-combustion engines



June 8 1926. 1,587,922

J. E. w. ROSSON LUBRICATING DEVICE FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES FiledOct. 23. 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 2 A TTORNYS June 8,1926. 1,587,922

J. E. W. ROSSON LUBRICATING DEVICE FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES FiledOctM-23, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 a @mm' Patented June 8, 192%,

U star -a rent 1: 'F FIQ JAMES E. W. nosson, or nornrnsvrttn, immens ty,nssrenon, 'BY Mns vn ASSIGN- Mnn'rs, '10 eisr-icomrnny, ive, orLO'ULISVIIJLE, gnnrnonrz, i oo'nronn rron on KENTUCKY.

ewe em Perm emeevee ie ieeeea En mi s Application filed Qctober 23, 192%. seri al 745,486.

My invention relates to devices for maintaining the oil level inthecrank cases internal coigi ibustion engines, and it is particularlydesigned for use in connection with the engines of Ford automobiles inwhich type of engine it is Off especial'iniportance that the supply ofoil in the main sump be maintained at a constant level and that a smallquantity otoil shall'be continuously added to take the plac-e of thesmall portions which are continuously used during the running of thecar.

In internal combustion engines to which ny invention is particularlyapplicable, the oil supply is distributed 'to the engine parts by therotation of the fly Wheel or other i'otatab .l e member and the oilsupply should he maintained at a heightin thecasi ng to pei'i nit thedistriln tion by centrifugal ac tion of the rotating part and soon asthe rotating member ceases to distribute a nedeterinincd amount of oilthe supply should be renewed; a comparatively small. amount of oilconstantly renewed is obviously all that is required to maintain properlubrication.

Instead of endeavoring to determine the height or the oil in the casingby meansof a iloat or other device OPQI'EttlllgZ-I in ,tl'ie oil, whichis frequently imp "actical' le by reason of the narrow space between therotating member and the bottom of the casing, and utilizing this floator the height of the oil in the casing to openthe oil tank for anadditional supply, I have adopted a certain novel construction andarrangement of parts in which the oil tank is closed by a valveelectro-magnetically operated to open the supply the moment the rotatingmember fails to throvvthe oil to thetop of the ra s ng, wh ch novelconstruct on and arrangement of parts will be hereinaifter moreparticularly 'pointed out and claimed.

"ln -the'dra vingsl i i Figure l isa perspective View o f the casing etatype of -Fo'rd gasoline engine yvith any lubricating devi'c'eattached.

i men is a cen veric;

the oil supply tank. Figure Bis a perspectiveyieyv of the sole noiclforop'erating'tl s l'y va ve.

, lfiigu e horizontal s tiofn of the oil us c w a A .eestioi re Figure 5a detail section taken through the cover" plate of the transmissioncasing shtming the automatic device or circuit breaker for operating thesolenoid.

Figu re'G is a top lan view of the automatic device or *circiiit breakerremoved from the cover.

" Figure 'T'is a cross section of a modified t rm for controlling thesolenoid.

Figure 8 is a perspective vievv of the coupling for the oil supply tube.

"I'have illustrated in the drawings a perspective view of atype ofFoitl'autoinobile engine easingl with the fly wheel casing 2 and thetransmission casing 3 adjacent the fly Wheel casing, provided" with acover 41. llhe engine casing is in the ordinary construction suppliedwith "lubricating oil through an opening at ;5 provided with a 'capfiand the oil runs down into the fly Wheel casing; whence it isdistributed by the centrifugal'actionof the fly heel rotating in theoil. A drainage plug? is provided for this casing ivith t'Wo' gaugecocks 8 and 9, by which the height'ofoil in the casing is determined,and between Which the oil level is ordinc rily to be naintainedQ VJiththis construction there is no Way of determining the amount or oilexcept crawling under the machine and testing the height through thesegauge cocks. If the oil'is consumedbelow the level of the lower gaugecock, great'harm inay be "done by running Without Oil, too much mayeasily he added. to be Wasted and burnt up inthe .form of smoke, foulingspark plugs; and carbonizthe cylinder". i i It is the object o-finyinvention to maintain the oil level automatically; for properdistribution of the oil by the fly Wheel, sup- ;plying' the exact amountor oil for continuous distribution. i To accomplish this, I employ thedistriceases todistrihute oil'to the't'op at the oils slit should, anoil valve-in' an oil tank opened and foil l -pro er distriimn Toaccomplish this, I provde an oil tank or reservoir 10 preferablyrectangular in shape and of narrow width which is secured to the side ofthe engine casing by metal straps 12. This tank is provided with afilling opening closed by a cap 13 with an air hole therein to supplyair. The tank is provided with a glass gauge 14 and the location of thetank on the side of the engine casing adjacent to exhaust manifold notonly warms the oil for proper flow in cold weather, but the location issuch that the gauge can be inspected through the air ventilators of thehood without raising the hood and the user can tell whether he has asufficient supply of oil on hand at a moments glance.

The oil is automatically supplied to the casing through the pipe 15, inthe bottom oi the tank, provided with an elbow coupling 16. The elbow isconnected by a short tube 17 to the supply opening 5 of the enginecasing.

In order that this connection can be .made without drilling any holesand at a moments notice, I provide the sleeve 18 shown in Fig ure 8 andthe cap 6 is removed, the sleeve inserted and the tube 17 passedthroughthe opening 19 and the cap replaced. The innor end of the elbow coupling16 is provided with a valve seat 20 upon which is seated a needle valve21 with a heavy metal stem, so that the valve seats by gravity.Surrounding the pipe 15 inside of the tank is a solenoid winding of finewire 22 of which the shank of the valve 21 forms the core. This wireiswound on a libre core 22 with fibre disks 23 at top and bottom so asto prevent any metal contact to avoid accidental short circuit and theends of the coil properly encased are connected with insulated bindingposts 24; on top of the oil tank by the wires Normally the oil alve 21will remain closed by its own weight. Vv'hen a current of electricity ispassed through the solenoid winding, the valve is lifted from its seatto allow oil to discharge. To serve as a stop for the valve, I pass acotterpin 26 through the top of the pipe 15. The cur rent for thesolenoid is obtained. by con nection with the magneto or from thegenerator by connection between the generator and the relay, so thatwhen, the car stops no current is furnished.

One of the wires 25 is connected with the metal casing and the otherwire with a binding post 27, on the cover plate of the transmissioncasing near the fly wheel casing. This binding post is provided with aninwardly projecting metal pin Piv- "otally mounted in a bracket 28secured to the undersurfaee of the cover plate on the I pintle 34.- is atray or bucket 29 whichis provided with a resilient copper contact strip30 and aweight 31 tends to bring the contact strip into connection withthe pin. hen this contact takes place the current is passed through thesolenoid and the oil valve is lifted to allow oil to discharge from thetank into the fly wheel casing.

The bucket 29 is, however, located at the top of the casing and as longas there is sutficient oil in the casing, it is thrown by the wneel tothe top and some of this oil is caught by and fills the bucket causingit to tip outwardly shown in the full lines in Figure It follows that aslong as there is oil to be distributed the contact between the pin andthe strip 30 will be broken and the oil valve 21 will remain closed. Thebucket is provided with two holes to allow the oil to discharge from thebucket as it is constantly filled by the oil thrown up by the fly wheel.When no oil is supplied the bucket at once tips back into the positionshown by dotted lines in Figure 5 and contact is made. In order thatvibration of the bucket may not make and break the circuit, the strip 30is made resilient so that connection is maintained under any vibration.To insure a proper circuit from the strip 30 to the engine casing, Ihave shown the pint-1e 34: upon which the bucket is pivoted as connectedby wire 35 with the cover plate.

To prevent the floor boards 01'' the car from pressing down upon thebinding post and wire, I protect this connection by a strap 36.

Instead of a pivoted bucket or tray to make and break the solenoidconnection, I can provide a fixed bucket 37 secured to the cover at, andprovide a cork float 38 to make and break the electrical connection asshown in FigIn-c '1'. As this bucket .lills the cork will float andbreak the connection at 39 and as the oil runs out through holes in thebutton as in the preferred construction without oil being constantlyfilled therein, the cork float will drop down and make the necessaryconnection.

lVhile I have illustrated my invention with special reference to theconstruction as found in the standard Ford machine, it-is obvious thatit may be applied to any type of construction in which the oil asdistributed is thrown to the top of the casing, there to be caught byany form of tray or bucket which when oil is filled into it will effecta breaking of an electric circuit and which when empty shall close thecircuit through an electric-magnet controlling a valve member in an oilreservoir. I, therefore, do not desire to be in any way limited to thespecific details shown.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a lubricating device of the character specified, the combinationwith a. recep- Ill) Fill

tacle in the engine casing for holding the lubricant and a rotatingmember to distribute the lubricant throughout the casing, of an oilsupply reservoir for supplying lubricant to the casing, a valve in theoil supply line normally closed, and an electro-magnet adapted whenenergized to open said valve and means actuated upon the failure of theoil distribution to close the current when the oil distribution ceases.

2. In a lubricating device of the character specified, the combinationwith a receptacle in the engine casing for holding the lubricantand arotating member to distrib' ute the lubricant throughout the casing, ofan oil supply reservoir for supplying lubricant to the casing, a valvein the oil supply line normally closed, and an electro-magnet adaptedwhen energized to open said valve and means located in the upper portionof the engine casing actuated upon the failure of the oil distributionto maintain an open circuit during oil distribution and to close thecircuit when oil distribution ceases.

3. In a lubricating device of the character specified, thecombinationwith a receptacle in the engine casing for holding the lubricant and arotating member to distribute the lubricant throughout the casing, of anoil supply reservoir for supplying lubricant to the casing, a valve inthe oil supply normally closed, and an electroenagnet adapted whenenergized to open said valve, and a pivoted member located in the upperportion of the engine casing actuated upon the failure 01: the oildistribution to open the electro-magnetic circuit and adapted to closethe circuit when oil distribution ceases.

4;. In a lubricating device of the character specified, the combinationwith an engine casing for holding the lubricant and a rotating member todistribute the lubricant throughout the casing, of an oil supplyreservoir for supplying lubricant to the casing, a valve in the oilsupply normally closed, and an electro-magnet adapted when energized toopen said valve, and an oil tray carrying a contact member in the upperportion of the engine casing, the tray adapted to catch the oil, withmeans for breaking the electric circuit when oil is filling the tray andfor closing the circuit when the oil tray is discharged.

5. In a lubricating device of the character specified, the combinationwith an engine casing for holding the lubricant and a rotating member todistribute the lubricant throughout the casing, of an oil supplyreservoir for supplying lubricant to the casing, a valve in the oilsupply normally closed, and an electro-magnet adapted when energized toopen said valve, and an oil tray carrying a contact member in the upperportion of the engine casing, with pivot for the tray to permit the trayto tip when receiving oil distributed by the rotating member and to openthe circuit to the electromagnet and means for lifting the tray to closethe circuit when oil is not received by the tray.

(iqIn a lubricating device of the character specified, the combinationwith an engine casing having a receptacle for the distribution of oil,and a fly wheel rotating in said receptacle, of an oil supply reservoirlocated above the receptacle with a supply line to deliver oil from thereservoir to the receptacle, a metal needle valve in said supply linenormally closed and a solenoid coil to lift the metal valve from itsseat, an oil tray in the upper part of the casing above said receptaclewith means for closing the solenoid circuit when said tray is filledwith oil, and to open the circuit when no oil is being distributed.

7 In a lubricating device of the character specified, the combinationwith an en e ine casing having a receptacle for the distribu tion ofoil, and a fly wheel rotating in said receptacle, oi? an oil supplyreservoir located above the receptacle with a supply line to deliver oilfrom the reservoir to the receptacle, a metal needle valve in saidsupply line normally closed and a solenoid coil to liftthe metal valvefrom its seat, an oil tray pivoted in the upper part of the casingadapted to tip when filled, with an electric circuit through said tray,adapted to be opened when oil is discharged into said tray and to closewhen no oil is being received by the tray.

JAMES E. W. ROSSON.

